The Stage Diving Debate is About to Heat Up: Woman Wins $1.4 Million Lawsuit Following Injury at Fishbone Concert

Is it just a coincidence that there have been so many brouhahas surrounding the subject of stage diving in the past couple of years, or is it the world’s way of trying to tell us all to cut it out with that shit? First, Randy Blythe was arrested in the Czech Republic for allegedly shoving a fan off the stage, thereby fatally injuring him; then The Ocean publicly clashed with the organizers of Summer Slaughter over their “no stage diving” policy; then American rapper/total idiot George Watsky hurt some fans after attempting the world’s highest, and stupidest, stage dive; just last month, a man was killed after a stage dive at a hardcore show in Zurich, Switzerland went awry; and now I just read this on Metal Insider:

“Four years ago in February 2010, a woman named Kimberly Myers was injured at a Fishbone show at the WXPN World Cafe when frontman Angelo ‘Dr. Madd Vibe’ Moore leaped from the stage. Myers lost consciousness after the stagedive, which reportedly left her with broken skull and collarbone and, as a result, she now suffers from memory problems, shoulder pain, and lupus. The resulting lawsuit had its final ruling last Wednesday that found Myers awarded with $1.4 million.”

Now, there were some mitigating factors here. For example, Myers apparently wasn’t at the café to see the band, and following her injury, Moore and the rest of Fishbone “continued to perform as if nothing had happened,” according to the ruling by U.S. District Judge Jan DuBois (via Pollstar). Additionally, “Moore testified that every couple of months an ambulance is called to the concert venue,” according to DuBois. In other words, if Moore had jumped on an actual audience member and then demonstrated concern for that audience member, he might not now be indebted to Myers forever and all times.

As Chuck and Godless joked on the latest episode of The MetalSucks Podcast, we can now expect Fishbone to now tour A LOT in order to pay what they owe to Myers. More seriously, though, I expect more and more crackdowns on stage diving from venues, promoters, security, and even the bands themselves. As Sumerian Records/Summer Slaughter founder Ash Avildsen revealed during the aforementioned spat with The Ocean, The Dillinger Escape Plan “carry their our own tour/liability insurance.” Now you understand why.